The Choice of Love
by Ellynn
Summary: AU. Sequel to “The Bracelet”. When it seems nothing more can go wrong, Boromir and Ellin face the hardest choice of their lives... because even the greatest gift one can give can still cause pain.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:**

This will be a four-chapter story. Special thanx and hug to Dawn Felagund, for helping and correcting my grammatical errors.

This story is not only mine, but it's writen together with my dear friend Val. There were some difficult moments while writing it, but this story helped us both realize some things about the characters we are both fond of... and not just about them.

Val, thank you. :wub:

-x-x-x-

_It was a perfect day_, Boromir thought, watching the setting sun. He took Ellin to Ithilien, and they enjoyed nature the whole day. Warm summer sun lightened the forest, sweet scents filled the air. The sunset caught them on a small lawn near the little river which coiled through the forest. They tied up their horses near the surrounding trees, having decided not to go back to Minas Tirith. The night in beautiful nature, under Varda's stars, seemed a much nicer option.

They lit a small fire and had supper. Next to them, squatting on the blanket, there was a young wild cat cub, sleeping. They had found it in the afternoon, deserted, hungry and exhausted. Instantly they fed the little animal and it fell asleep in Ellin's lap, tranquil and safe. "Now she's ours", Ellin said. "We'll take care of her until she grows up." Boromir nodded and smiled.

The western sky still had a golden-red glare, while the first and brightest stars appeared on the blue sky in the east. The small river ran silently. While Ellin's head rested on his shoulder, Boromir smiled again, holding her tightly. Yesterday, he had proposed to her and she had consented. He never felt happier. _A perfect day._

"I've been thinking, you know", said Ellin softly, and stirred, with a gentle smile on her face. "I found everything I had ever wanted in life. I choose a mortal life. Valinor is not my choice. It is here, with you, that I'm happy."

"What... what did you say?" he asked stiffly, hoping he had misunderstood her words.

"I choose a mortal life", she repeated, still with a peaceful expression on her face. "I love you and I want to live my life with you. Immortality is not my choice, it means nothing to me."

He couldn't hope he had misunderstood, not any more. When her words reached his mind, clear and unequivocal, he froze, his heart pierced with pain. Abruptly he sat and looked at her seriously.

"Ellin..." He stopped, sighed, and then continued. "Why did you say that? Why wouldn't you sail away one day? I want you to do that and be happy."

"But I told you..." she answered in a low voice. Now she sat up, too, facing him, holding his hand. "I love you and I choose a mortal life. Immortal life of my people means nothing to me if I have to live in loneliness."

She shook her head, puzzled, and Boromir saw she didn't realize what troubled him.

"I hoped you didn't feel that way. I don't want you throw away your gift, I want you to sail to Valinor after my death", he said slowly. "I love you too... but I can not allow you to throw away the life that awaits for you. You belong there." For a moment he stopped and then forced himself to continue, no matter how painful it was. "I would rather not be with you, instead of knowing you'd thrown away the life before you."

He felt her hand withdrawing.

"My gift? What do you know about it? It is I who knows and feels best where I belong. I belong with you... Do not push me away from you." Her voice became silent and sad. But he could not let himself pay any attention to her sorrow, so he forced himself to go on the way he had to, the only way that was right.

"Ellin, I don't want you to renounce anything because of me, let alone throw away your life. I couldn't bare that. You have your life; there are still so many things in store for you."

Even in the dim light of their small fire Boromir saw the pain in her eyes. The pain that he felt, too. He turned his gaze towards the river, not letting those sad eyes break him, so that he could remain strong.

"Don't say that... you are my life. My heart belongs to you. No one can command a heart." Her voice trembled and her eyes filled with tears. For several moments she was silent, and then gathered strength to continue. "I have a right to choose, and I have made my choice. I love you... a life without you wouldn't mean anything to me. Why are you pushing me away?"

It was hard to continue, but once again he forced himself to answer.

"Because I can't let you throw your life because of me!" he cut her off, still looking aside. "I couldn't live like that. I'd rather be alone, knowing you'll live."

"Don't say that! I'm not throwing anything! I'll have a life with you. My heart made a choice... you are the one who is throwing away our future. Boromir, all I want is to be with you. "

When she caressed his face, he yielded and turned his head towards her. To look in the eyes he loved, full of tears, almost took his breath away.

"If you don't love me, say it and I'll leave...", she continued almost whispering, "but if I mean anything to you, please don't push me away..." Now her voice finally broke and she started to cry. She lowered her head.

This was more than he could bear. He loved her more than anything. And exactly because of that, he couldn't let her give up the life she could have. He stood up, not able to say a word. Feeling pain greater than any enemy's sword had ever caused him, he left for the forest, while her sobbing echoed behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

Boromir didn't know where he was going or for how long he had walked, he just continued walking in the same direction, and it seemed to him he walked for hours. The pain was so strong that he could not think; his head was empty. He walked through the forest like a blind man, knowing only that he was going away from her. But there was no escape.

He couldn't escape from it all.

Why couldn't he just give in and accept her decision? He knew that it was true and from the heart, that it was important to her, that she really meant it. Maybe somebody else would do it in his shoes. But he couldn't. Maybe he loved her too much; maybe that's why he couldn't think of doing anything that could harm her... he couldn't think of anything worse to do to someone. How couldn't she understand what she was doing to him? How could she make such a decision, so simply, as if it was a normal thing?

He was mad. In that moment he loved her more than ever, but was angry at her more than he ever thought he could be... and that devastated him. He was out of his mind. And most of all, he was angry because of her surprise at his reaction... as if he was supposed to say: "Wonderful, great, I'm so glad, that's the true token of love." How couldn't she understand? How should he explain to her that he cannot accept it? He thought she had gotten to know him during all this time, but he was clearly wrong.

His pain was getting stronger until it became unbearable, and so he stopped. Anyway, he didn't know where he was or how far he had come. He could go on, anywhere, as far as possible, just to escape... but he couldn't escape from what was in his head. So he slowly turned and started back. Slowly.

He couldn't believe this was happening. He thought nothing more could go wrong, now that the war was over. He was right when he had feared something would happen because he couldn't believe everything was so perfect. When he held her in his arms for the first time, he wondered if it was real and if it would last. It seemed incredible to him that he had gotten something so precious. But it lasted; they survived all the dreads and battles, and survived what they thought was the end of their world, the war was over, they were together, she accepted his proposal... and then the earth under his feet collapsed.

He should have stayed there, calmed down and explained to her exactly how he felt, but he just couldn't bear her sorrow; he had to run away. Even such a small thing as her tears hurt him more than he could imagine... and how could she expect he'd accept something that would bring her death in the end? Because down the line, that was the naked truth: she will die because of him. And he couldn't let that happen. Something like that he wouldn't allow to anyone, let alone the woman he loved more than anything.

Compared to hers, his life was only a moment... and no matter how fulfilled that moment was, to her it would pass as fast as one year to him... maybe even faster. Why couldn't she just continue being an elf, keep him in her memories, and go on? Why would she have to stop living because of him? It was unbearable, the very thought of it terrified him.

He should've asked her a question, had he remembered it on time... If this situation could be changed and if they switched places, if she had one more year in her life and because of that he decided to give up the rest of his life and die when she died... what would she say? Would she accept it, as she expected him to do? Would she accept his arguments that he didn't want to live without her? Or would she just refuse it with horror? The same way he had.

He loved her too much to kill her... to shorten her life for a single day, let alone for thousands years that lay before her.

He loved her too much to be with her.

He couldn't imagine he'd never see that face he adored, which meant everything to him, that smile which was carved in his heart forever.

But he had to do it. He had a choice: life with her and her death. Life without her and her life.

And he made the right choice. And every day, every year of his life he'll go on loving her, knowing he gave her life with this choice. It didn't matter what would happen with him, how he would make it without her... the thought that she'll be Ellin for thousands years more was worth it. It will be enough for him.

Still, he didn't understand how everything could have broken down so fast, how such a sudden change could happen in one day... He could wonder over and over if it might have been avoided, and he wouldn't find the answer. He didn't understand why she had to make any choice at all. A day after he proposed to her, she calmly and happily tells him she wants to throw away the rest of her life for it, and is then surprised at his reaction.

She didn't think about it at all and didn't even bother to ask herself how their life would be if he accepted her decision. He couldn't say how it would be for her – he wasn't able to imagine that – but he knew how it would be for him. He'd wake up every morning thinking that this was another day less for her; he'd count his own days, calculating how long they were to her; he'd search for signs that she regreted her choice. He would dread his own death, not because of him, but because of her. He'd feel like a twin forever bound to the other, knowing that his death would end the life of another. And soon, everything would be darkened by his growing sorrow and bitterness. In time, it wouldn't be any easier, but harder. Each happy moment would be dimmed by that shadow... he knew himself.

There was no way she could tell what life would bring them; even this love which now seemed imperishable could be changed. So many things might happen in the future, and her choice now was completely irrational. The elves were supposed to be wise and prudent, not blinded by emotions. For this is how it seemed to him: a sudden impulse. A thing she might regret later, for there was really no way to know everything in advance.

She still didn't know him well enough, that's why she didn't understand this. She couldn't understand how he'd be capable of turning away from this love. But he had to. He would do it.

And now, he had to do the most difficult thing in his life: calm down, go back to her and explain everything. If he went to her only because of explanation, maybe he couldn't force himself to do that... but in spite of all, he returned because of hope. It was the only thing he had left. Hope that she would not give up her immortality. That the two of them would be together nevertheless.

He found her sitting near the fire, just as he had left her. She also knew this was not over; there were still things to be resolved. He sat next to her, not touching her, trying not even to look at her. It took him almost a minute to start talking.

"I love you. I do not want to live without you. And I'm not pushing you away from me, I want you to stay." He managed to talk calmly and marvelled at himself for that. "Until this day we had everything, or at least I thought so. We had happiness and love. And then came your choice. For you, nothing changes. Before the choice, happiness and love, after the choice, happiness and love. Great, isn't it?" He raised his hand and stopped her when she wanted to say something, for he hadn't finished yet. "But for me, you destroyed everything. From the moment you made your choice, nothing but the past remained to me... because for me the future has only two options: living with you in endless remorse which would destroy me, or living without you, knowing you will live. I chose the latter, Ellin... I decided I got much more that way. Try to imagine how you would feel if it was the other way around, if your death meant the death of someone else. But my love... I do not understand one thing. I know you well enough to know you are not a selfish person, and that's why I find this decision so strange. It reminds of a spoiled, selfish child who thinks only of her own welfare and happiness, and doesn't mind what she's doing to others. So, if your life is the same before and after the choice, if it's full of happiness and love, why are you ruining my life? Because that's what you did... whatever I do in the end. You separated us in one stroke."

Slowly he patted her cheek and wiped away her tears, and then stood up.

"I'll be down there, by the turn of the river. When you're ready, I'll listen to whatever you wish to say."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note:** Sorry for the slow update. I was really veeeeeeeeery busy for the last ten days. :(

And thanks to Dawn Felagund for helping in grammar and beta reading. :)

-x-x-x-

Tears kept running down her face. Boromir left, and she remained alone... alone like she had never felt before. Now the only thing left was this little cat that woke up and stood next to her, watching her in confusion, with a tilted head. It seemed like the little creature felt the elf's sorrow. Ellin felt the kitten pushing her hand with its head and meowing softly. She caressed the kitten, quite unaware of it, and the little animal climbed into her lap. The tears fell on its fur, while the kitten still meowed, as if it wanted to talk, as if it wanted to say "Don't cry...".

Ellin thought about the past months, which had been the hardest and most beautiful in her life. She remembered the autumn day when she stood on the balcony of Elrond's house, and a tall man rode into the court. He had a black cloak fastened with a double silver brooch, a white horn decorated with gold hanging from is belt, and a shield with a carved Tree of Gondor attached to his saddle. Then, he was just a stranger, a Steward of Gondor who came to the council because of problems that threatened Middle-earth. Now, this man was everything to her... now, it seemed she'd lose him. Will he really, after all perils and what they'd been through, just turn his back on her and leave? And why?

Until now, she hadn't found what she had longed for. She had loved and lost her love once, and she had needed a long time to heal. But this time, her feelings were much stronger. She was 85; just a blink of an eye for an elf, but on the other hand, she had already lived longer than most Men will. She took part in fighting against the orcs, sometimes travelled with the Dunedain, and when she did not travel, she dwelled in Rivendell. Yet, when she compared life of her people with the days spent with Aragorn and other men, it seemed that some sorrow choked her at home. Many elves seemed to live in the past, in glorious but forever-lost days, burdened under a load of sadness that only increased with the passing years. When she travelled with Dunedain, she felt free, her life was richer, and she lived every day as if it was the last.

Boromir reminded her of many of her friends she had among the Dunedain; that wasn't a surprise, because although some lived in Gondor and the others far in the North, they were all one people, descendants of ancient Numenor. She appreciated his devotion, courage and honour. With him, every day was richer and fuller than a whole month in a melancholic past. He was all she could ever want, all she had never found in anyone before. Her life was now fulfilled, she had found happiness and meaning, she woke up from the dream in which she had lived once. Was it so strange that she wished for and chose such a rich life? And what could she expect later? Silent dreaming again, slow waning day by day, living in a lost past that will never return? Haven't the wise said that even the Valar will envy the men for the gift they received from Iluvatar?

And what if she went to Valinor? Would she be happy or not? Would everything be perfect? Perhaps. Or she would live with desperate but with an impracticable desire that her life should become as happy as it once was? There was no way she could know the future that lay before her.

Sometimes she contemplated her origin, life, the days that lay before her. She loved Middle-earth, all of its lands, nature, animals. She lived for Middle-earth, fought for it to the last breath, felt it in her heart, to the very bottom of her being. Valinor was completely unknown to her. She didn't think much of death and immortality, though sometimes, during long lonely hours, she thought about that, too. She always thought she'd live her life in Middle-earth and rest in its earth one day, after living through the life she had chosen. Immortality wasn't important to her, but much more important was _the way_ she would live. Unknowingly, she had already chosen her way of life, and this decision now only took its final form.

And just when she found all she had ever wanted, when she could choose her life and happiness, everything fell apart. Because Boromir couldn't or wouldn't understand that immortality didn't mean anything to her.

He left.

The kitten stopped meowing; it just anxiously tapped its front paws on Ellin's hand. Ellin stroked it absentmindedly. She didn't cry any more, it seemed to her that her soul had frozen, as if there was nothing left, like an empty shell. He was gone. What was the last thing he had told her? She tried to remember... and failed. She was thinking and remembering. She told him that she'd leave if he didn't love her, but asked him not to push her away if he felt anything for her... and he didn't say that he didn't love her! He didn't say anything! Just like a drowning person clutching for the last straw, Ellin remembered he hadn't told her that he didn't love her. While she felt the last, desperate hope, her chin trembled and her eyes filled again with tears.

"He didn't say he didn't love me, he didn't say that", she whispered in a broken voice to the little animal she held in her lap. "Perhaps not all is lost..."

Then she heard rustling in the dark, and out of the grove appeared the one she wanted to see so much; but she was also afraid of what he'd tell her. He sat next to her but didn't even touch her, he didn't do anything to chase away her fears. He was silent. Ellin felt her hope vanishing, while her fears grew.

Finally, he started to talk. The first words were a relief... but what came next shook her very deeply. When he finished and stood up, having told he'd wait and talk to her when she was ready, he touched her cheek. If she could, she'd hold him so, hold his hand on her face, and she'd stay bound with him forever...

Why did everything have to be so complex and hard?

Yes, she could understand what was troubling him. She really felt ashamed that she hadn't thought about how her choice would affect him. But also she wished that he would understand her view. Did he not think that immortality was insignificant to someone? The Men often wanted longer life and envied the elves, but they almost never thought that immortality might be a burden, too. Is it not better to have one life, rich and fulfilled, then to drag on as each and every new day presented nightfall?

The longer she thought, the better she understood; no, he will not yield, he'll really do what he said. Whatever she told him, no matter how much she tried to explain that she didn't want immortality, he would not accept her choice. Now that she considered both sides, Ellin knew that she wouldn't accept it either, if it was the other way around. While her pain grew, she wondered if there was a perfect solution for such pair, one of Men and one of elvish race, in which neither would ever suffer. And she realized there was not.

One day, he'll die, and she will remain alone. She will lose everything. She will lose her family. The thought was unbearable. How do you go on living with such pain? How do you go on living alone, while loneliness growing day by day, knowing that what you love will never return?

She couldn't imagine life without Boromir, not any more; not when she had happiness she could only dream of once right at the reach of her hand. His face was the first thing she saw in the morning; in his arms she fell asleep every night, and in between those, there were countless happy moments. She couldn't bear the thought of losing him. But to her, even much more difficult was the thought that he'd suffer. A little while ago, he'd told her that he loved her. She loved him, too. And she knew she'd do everything to make him happy.

The greatest, most valuable gifts came out of love. Giving was easy. Certain realizations, though, were not easy sometimes. But love could overcome everything. Boromir gave her the greatest of gifts. Like her, he had also made a choice. Because of his love for her. While her eyes filled with tears, she felt her love for him growing even more.

And because her choice hurt him so, she will give it up. She will erase from her mind all that hurt her and face everything that will await her one day. She will be what she was now. An elf. Who knows, maybe some day, far from now, she will review her fate and choice... but not now, and not the way that will be a burden for him. She will do nothing that will hurt him, that will shade his happiness. Because she loved him more than anything.

Yes, they had to talk. She sighed, finally feeling ready. She gently lifted up the kitten that was still in her lap, stood up and put her on the earth bed.

"There is still hope, you know, little one?" she whispered to the kitten, stroking her. "He told me that he loved me. I am going to talk to him now... I hope everything will be fine."

Feeling fear mixed with hope, she set forth towards the river.


	4. Chapter 4

Ellin saw a bleary shape sitting next to the bank. Boromir heard her coming and raised his head.

"Would you come back?" she asked timidly. "There's a fire in our camp... and I'm a little cold."

That was a lie; although it was a little chillier after sunset, she wasn't cold at all. In the thick darkness she couldn't see his face, and she didn't want to talk to a dark image; she wanted to see his eyes so much. Boromir silently stood up and followed her. A little later, they were sitting in their small camp, next to the fire. The flame gave a reddish glare to the space around them. Boromir was right next to her and if she extended her hand just a little she could touch him, but she dared not. Ellin raised her gaze from the flickering flames and looked at him. They looked at each other for several long moments. She couldn't read the expression in his eyes; it was as if he had raised a wall. She felt fear. Finally, she took a deep breath and found the strength and courage to speak.

"I never wanted to hurt you. The very thought that I hurt you or destroyed something for you is difficult for me." She lowered her head. "Yes, I thought of myself too much, but... I'll try to explain." She raised her eyes towards him again and shook her head, leaning a little forward. "You gave my life a meaning. What was its meaning once? Fighting against orcs because they killed my parents? Revenge? That can be a driver, and only just for a while... but it can't be a meaning. Revenge and hatred leave a very bitter taste... they are evil. And I don't want that. I want to live my life filled with love... with you."

She stopped for a moment, looking for the right words, wondering if there were the right ones which could explain how she felt.

"What is immortality?" she continued sadly, thoughtfully looking into the distance. "Does immortality mean happiness? I do not know... surely many found happiness, but those two don't necessarily mean the same. There are many elves for whom immortality and long years mean only a burden. Yes, I know, you'll say I'm too young to say something like that. But do you know how many elves there are, older than me, who can envy me because in hundreds or thousands of years they didn't find what I did? Do you know how it is when each new day means nothing but sorrow?"

Ellin fell silent. The only sound surrounding them was the crackling of the fire. She looked at him again. Boromir's face was still inscrutable. She nervously clasped her hands in her lap. But she had to continue, to open herself to the last thought and feeling.

"Probably we all wonder what the future brings us, what awaits us; so do I. Sometimes I was afraid, afraid of being alone. All that I ever hoped for was to have a family and live a fulfilled life; that was my wish, and in a way – choice. I didn't see the immortality as a gift, to me it was only important how I'd live. I thought I could use the grace which was given to me: to choose my fate, which is something most cannot. If I ever regretted I was not born as a human, I do now, because everything would be different and no one would suffer..."

She bit her lower lip, feeling discomfort and fear.

"Men perceive the immortality differently than the elves do; they think of it as something very precious and many long for it. On the other hand, to some elves it doesn't mean anything. What would all those long solitary years mean to me? To me, immortality is totally insignificant, it's a mere trifle, compared to the happiness I could have with you, in this lifetime." She took a deep breath and looked in his eyes. "But, I can understand that my choice is a burden for you, and that you don't want to accept it, because I can imagine how you feel. I love you. All I want is to be with you. If my choice is what stands between us, if you say I have separated us that way, then I take it back... because I don't want to live without you. If your wish is that I go on, if that is what I can give you... then I'll do it. Because I don't want to do anything that would hurt you. And I know that my choice would."

Her voice slowly diminished. She looked in front of herself, hardly breathing, waiting for Boromir to speak, and expecting the judgment.

Boromir didn't even blink, but just kept staring at her, as if he hadn't heard what she had said at all. And as the seconds passed, she was more and more convinced that what had happened to them was something irreparable, that everything had been destroyed forever.

"You have tiny golden spots in your eyes..." said he, bemused, just in the moment when she thought to get up and run from the tension surrounding them. "Interesting. That must be the reason why they are so brightly green, because of that combination."

She wasn't able to speak a single word, completely frozen for a moment_. What? What spots... what eyes... what is he talking about?_

"Do you want to know how I feel right now?" Boromir continued in a gentle voice, still completely unrecognizable. For the first time, ever since she knew him, she couldn't feel what he really thought; he shut himself behind this mildness and complete politeness. His voice and eyes were empty of every emotion. She managed to make just a slight nod, completely aghast.

Boromir slowly stood up, but didn't move towards her. He went to the river and that scared her even more. Now she was sure that everything was over. He stopped close to the bank, and peered into darkness.

Somehow Ellin managed to stand up to and found strength to follow him. A part of her still hoped, although she sank deeper and deeper. She stood in front of him, unable to speak. He stopped her just a step away from him and gently embraced her face with his hands. Without a word. The fire was behind his face; again she couldn't see him, nor his eyes, but only a dark shape in front of her.

But she could feel how his hands trembled while he caressed her face.

"I came back thinking I had lost you, Ellin... never in my life was I so scared of something, never before I thought that I could be so insane, so messed up, so... destroyed."

His voice was still and broken and now she could feel him behind his words... and her eyes filled with tears for him.

"I was too scared to believe you'd say what you did. Yes, I still had just a little bit of hope, but while going back, I was afraid that everything was over and lost... and still I'm trying to understand that you really accepted my request. I'm not quite successful in that, as you can see. I'm a little..." He stopped and took a deep breath, and shook his head. "I'm a little crazy right now. But you can see it anyway."

"The tiny golden spots that I didn't see till now", Boromir whispered several seconds later. "It probably sounds stupid, but that example clearly shows some things that I came to understand now. Events ran too fast to leave me enough time to get know you deeper, there was simply no time for that. That had to come later, by itself. I just loved you", he continued as if talking to himself, even quieter. "There was no time for anything else. No time for memories, for mutual thoughts and habits. That's where I made a mistake and almost ruined us both... because what happened is not your mistake, I see that now, my love; but I couldn't understand it before. I didn't listen to you, I didn't even ask for your opinion or what this all meant for you. I didn't even bother to ask, understand or accept. I just ran away. I almost..."

Boromir's voice broke and he was silent now. He pulled her close to himself and held her, and she could feel him trembling, fighting to regain control over himself and continue talking... but he couldn't say a word any more.

Ellin held him in return, so tight, and the tears flowed down her face. It was only important that he held her, that the future was not lost. She wanted to scream, jump, cry and laugh at the same time.

"Don't apologize", she whispered. All that he said applied to her, too. "Because I didn't ask what my choice would mean for you, either. I am the one who almost ruined us..."

He still didn't speak, he just held her tight, caressing her hair and face. Ellin found his lips and kissed him with more passion than she ever had, and more desperately than in their last kiss in front of the Black Gates, when it seemed that everything would come to end. She gave her whole self in this kiss, she wanted him to feel that she belonged to him with all her being. Finally she felt that he had stopped trembling, and although she couldn't discern in the dark for sure, she knew that smile was back to his face. He lifted her, spinning her through the air.

"I'm going to feel dizzy, my love!" she cheered. Now that she began to realize that everything was ok, she couldn't stop smiling.

Boromir then stopped and looked at her. Now he was turned with his face to the fire. She could see guilt in his eyes.

"I turned my back on you and left. Forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive, my love..." She gazed at him and sighed. Her face became serious, but still full of tenderness and warmth. She filled in every detail of the beloved face she almost lost... because of her selfishness.

Ellin held him closer and kissed him again. Without a word, Boromir led her to their small tent. Once she was in his arms, she forgot about the whole world. All that mattered were his kisses, her body bursting with flame and desire. Surrendering to a wave of passion that carried them both higher and further, she was thankful that tonight was not the end but the beginning of the life in front of them. The whole world was at hand for them.

Later, while she was resting, with her head lying on his shoulder, she was smiling. They still had much to discover about each other... and it will last a long time; a lifetime, perhaps. No, they'll never be bored. Each day could bring a new surprise. Her smile became wider. Yes, the whole world was at hand.


End file.
